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Fifteen of the 26 candidates for the Board of Aldermen showed up at Walsh School in the North End of Waterbury, Saturday afternoon, for a hastily rescheduled debate about issues facing the city. From left to right are Independent Party candidates Luis Quince Jr., Robert Petro III, Cicero Booker Jr., Lisa Lessard, Michael Simpson, Vincent Martinelli and Republicans Jerry Padula and Steve Giacomi.

Larry Rifkin and WATR radio provided a tremendous community service by hosting a two-hour live debate between the three mayoral candidates in Waterbury. Coming just six days before the November 8th election the debate was thoughtful, probing, substantive, and during commercial breaks - hilarious.

State Representative Larry B. Butler (D-Waterbury) will attend a gathering at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, November 9, 2011. African American leaders from government, business and the non-profit sector will take part in the forum titled, “Policy in Action Conference: A White House Discussion on Economic and Domestic Issues Facing the African American Community.”

“I’m excited to share my concerns and the feedback I’ve received from my constituents with the people that could make real changes,” said Rep. Butler.

The discussion will feature senior White House and Obama Administration leaders. Rep. Butler is in his third term serving the 72nd House District in Waterbury.

WATR radio host Larry Rifkin moderated a two-hour live mayoral debate on 1320 AM this morning featuring from left to right, Independent Party candidate Larry De Pillo, Democrat candidate Neil O'Leary, and Republican candidate and incumbent mayor, Mike Jarjura. The three candidates largely reiterated the positions they have been espousing for the past two months, but there were several sharp exchanges which will be reported in greater detail on this website in the next 24 hours.

The three mayoral candidates in Waterbury were invited to City Hall to help The Brass"Bury" Chess Club reawaken after a decade long slumber. When Democrat Neil O'Leary couldn't make it, the other two candidates sat down for a head-to-head game of chess. Republican five-term incumbent Mike Jarjura, left, had never played the game before, and Independent Party candidate Larry De Pillo, right, said his game was beyond rusty. With the help of club members the two candidates engaged in a spirited game that lasted 25 minutes. Photographs by John Murray

Waterbury mayor Mike Jarjura laughed at a point being made by Democrat challenger Neil O'Leary during a spirited debate sponsored by the Greater Waterbury Chapter of the National Congress of Black Women last night in the NOW auditorium, on North Main Street, in Waterbury. In an evening filled with political theater, the three candidates vying for mayor verbally jousted for nearly two hours. At one point during the debate Mayor Jarjura blamed O'Leary, who is a school board commissioner, for the fact that 21 schools in Waterbury have failed to meet state and federal standards. O'Leary, in the photograph above, reminded Jarjura that he is also a member of the board of education, and as the mayor, Jarjura should accept ultimate responsibility for the conditions in the schools.

Two days after the only Hispanic on the Democrat slate, Rubin Rodriguez, quit the ticket, a group of boisterous Latinos rallied in support of Democrat mayoral candidate Neil O'Leary, on South Main Street in Waterbury. Rodriguez stated he quit the ticket because O'Leary wasn't receptive to his ideas and was disrespecting the Hispanic population in Waterbury. O'Leary countered strongly by stating that Rodriguez had quit the ticket because the campaign was unwilling to budget $50,000 to State Rep. David Aldarondo to get the Hispanic vote to the polls on election day. O'Leary called it a "shakedown" by Aldarondo. Mayor Mike Jarjura pounced on the issue and sent out a statement that said O'Leary "is unfit to lead a city with Waterbury's ethnic, religious and national diversity."

Republican Board of Education candidates, Sundae Black, left, and Jason Van Stone listen intently as Democrat Liz Brown answers a question during a debate at Walsh School in the North End of Waterbury Saturday morning. Van Stone is an incumbent and this is Black's first time seeking elected office. Van Stone is a marketing expert and Black works at The Hartford. The debate was sponsored by the Scovill Homes Association. Photos by John Murray

Aldermanic Candidate Gregory A. Hadley, Sr. has formally requested that the Connecticut Department of Labor launch an investigation into the unemployment claim of Joseph Davino and the information provided by Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura regarding that claim.

On October 20, 2011, the Waterbury Republican published an article titled Latinos quit campaign. It is with great disappointment that the Latino community was portrayed as quitters in the local mayoral race. We strongly feel that this statement should have only reflected those individuals that were directly involved with their inability to fulfill their political obligations.